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Tuesday, June 16, 2015

.. not really. It will be a year next week, but you get the gist. It actually would have rolled on by me uncelebrated until a reader gave me a gentle nudge that I haven't updated in quite a while. Last time I posted I was between 7-8 months. So all pictures in this one will encompass months 8 - 12.

Just letting it do what it do!

Staging/Growth

So when it comes to fullness I believe my hair has likely peaked... or at the very least plateaued at the moment. Now I'm finally starting to see the difference in the length! I judge the length my hair while its wet after washing since the weight of the water lengthens the loc some. Is that the best way to do it?? iuhno... I just don't enjoy pulling down on my locs to see its true length and while it's dry there's shrinkage, so I've decided this is a fair compromise. Two months into my journey my locs were a tad bit longer than neck length, now they're pushing past shoulder length. For those of you hoping for technical side by side pictures from the back or side... or what have you..I'm afraid I will have to disappoint you. My interest in locking up was not to see how long I could grow my hair, but instead the freedom it provided me. So I'm afraid all I have are pictures of me enjoying life! :)

Although my locs are definitely maturing.. You can still see the pattern in some locs but in many it's beginning to fade as the hair starts to matte within in it. I wonder how long that'll take to completely go away. Anyone out there know??

Maintenance

So I guess I'm in the stage in which I'm experimenting with products, mainly shampoos. After running out of Sisterlocks starter shampoo I decided to leave the nest and explore other options. Over the weeks I have tried 3 shampoos.

I'm still struggling on finding the conditioning balance. I don't know if its because my locs are still maturing but deep conditioning put my hair at risk for slippage (at least for my shorter locs). Not conditioning causes breakage that I can see. At the moment I've been playing it by ear seeing how my hair feels and doing a regular condition when it's starting to feel dry. I think the trick for me is going to also be finding the right shampoo and regimen. It has been less of a problem since I've switched to Shea.

For issues with dry scalp I can usually keep it under control by applying a mix I made of natural hair/scalp friendly oils to the scalp after washing. This usually lasts me for the entire week until the next wash. Shea butter also has a superfruit scalp oil that I think works just as well as my oil mix.

I was tempted to try the moisturizing spray Sisterlocks makes as a way to add moisture in between washes. If I do say so myself, don't waste your money. I have been able to discern little to no difference between using that and water. Blah.

Styling

Freedom to Workout!

So I have to admit. I style my hair less and less these days and I LOVE IT. I have always been, since childhood, not keen on spending a lot of time on my hair day to day. So after washing my hair I will put it in lock-loops and take them out the next morning. I do my loops in large sections cause I also hate tight curls (queue flash back of horrible family picture with me looking like a black curly sue), as a result my curls are more waves then anything else and only last 3-4 days max. After which I just let it be until my next wash. In addition to my shear laziness and lack of desire, I also have made going to the gym at least 4 times a week part of my regimen. Sisterlocks curls are just as vulnerable to sweat and water as permed hair. So that gives me less of an incentive to style my hair.

Now make no mistake about it... I'll do a little something to my hair every now and then... but usually if I style it, It'll be the good ole trust hair to the side.